Could-Be Cavaliers - Shaquille O'Neal

Welcome everyone to a series that will run throughout this Summer, where CavsHQ will take a look at players that might find themselves in a Cavalier uniform during the 2009-10 NBA season. The series will include free agents, potential trade targets, and draft picks; any player who might be an interesting addition for the Cavaliers next season.

A note: This series is purely speculative. Players listed as Could-Be Cavaliers have not necessarily been rumored to be moving, or players that the Cavalier organization are actively seeking to acquire. Unless it is explicitly stated, nothing here should even be construed as a rumor.

It started with an Arizona Republic story that has been confirmed by Cavs beat writer Brian Windhorst: The Cavs and Suns are again in preliminary negotiations on a trade that would bring the Big Aristotle to the Cleveland Cavaliers, this time for Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic.

As you can see above, O'Neal averaged over 17 points and 8 rebounds per game last year, and looked rather revitalized under the careful watch of the renowned trainers in Phoenix (the same training crew that allowed Grant Hill to play in all 82 games this season for the first time in his career at age 36). That is much more production than the Cavaliers got from Wallace and Pavlovic, and much more than they got from any of their frontcourt players last season. If the Cavaliers can add a healthy O'Neal at the cost of just Wallace and Pavlovic, they will no doubt consider it.

Pros:

- You can't teach size, and Shaq has more of that than any superstar in NBA history. At 7'1" and 325 lbs, O'Neal would give the Cavaliers one of the biggest centers in the league, a physical force that very few teams can match. While the Cavs aren't especially small in the frontcourt with Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Anderson Varejao, they were clearly lacking in size and strength against elite post players, including Orlando's Dwight Howard and L.A.'s Pau Gasol. If Shaq is healthy, he can go a long way to improving the Cavalier interior defense in halfcourt sets.

- Shaq can still score in the post, as he proved by shooting nearly 61% from the field last season. Giving the ball to O'Neal on the low block still leads to points, and would give the Cavaliers another reliable offensive weapon to compliment LeBron James.

- The addition of another superstar - and Shaq is still a superstar, regardless of his age - could make Cleveland a more desireable destination for free agents, particularly older players looking for one last chance at a title. While the Cavaliers may consider adding players like Jason Kidd or Allen Iverson regardless of a move for Shaq, the presence of the Diesel might make it more likely that Danny Ferry can lure a big name player at the end of their career for close to the veteran minimum.

- Because Shaq's contract is up at the end of next season, the Cavaliers won't lose any of their coveted salary cap flexibility for the 2010 season. Even if O'Neal doesn't work out in Cleveland, the Cavaliers could still use him as an expiring contract next season to make another move if necessary.

Cons:

- Shaq is 37, and he'll turn 38 in March of 2010. There just aren't many NBA players who have been effective at that age. While some might see Shaq's 08-09 season as evidence that he still has something left, it's unlikely that he will be able to repeat those numbers when he's a year older.

- Shaq is a good teammate, but his record with coaches isn't so great. O'Neal was at least partly responsible for Pat Riley getting rid of Stan Van Gundy and stepping in as the Heat head coach for their 2006 Championship run. Perhaps more importantly, Shaq was unable to adjust to the defensive-minded Terry Porter last season, offering little support and openly praising the change to the offensive-minded Alvin Gentry when Porter was fired mid-season.

Knowing that Mike Brown's offensive gameplan has been under criticism throughout his tenure as the Cavaliers head coach, Shaq could toss Brown right under the bus at the first sign of trouble next season. With the Cavaliers doing everything they can to make sure LeBron's contract year goes as well as possible, adding a potential disruption like Shaq is a sizeable risk.

- Adding Shaquille O'Neal clearly isn't a long-term solution for the Cavaliers, and wouldn't have much impact on LeBron James choosing to re-sign with the Cavaliers after next season. And make no mistake, encouraging LeBron to re-up with Cleveland is the most important priority for the Cavalier organization.

Conclusion:

While it would be little bit of a desperation move, adding Shaquille O'Neal without losing an important rotation piece - meaning not trading Delonte West - would improve a major weakness on the Cavaliers. There may be better options available, but a Shaq trade would be better than standing pat heading into next season. And if fan reaction from the Arizona Republic report means anything, a Shaq trade would certainly energize the fan base that is still hungover from a disappointing end to the 2008-09 season.

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